6 W E S T W O R D F o o d & D r i n k 2 0 2 5 westword.com Denver’s Happiest Happy Hours FIND EPIC DEALS ON COCKTAILS, SUSHI AND MORE AT THESE 21 SPOTS IN THE METRO AREA. BY MOLLY MAR TIN Ah, happy hour. That magical time of day when restaurants and bars entice guests with deals on food and drinks. For a while after the pandemic, happy hours were slow to come back, but in the last couple of years, they have returned full force. But these specials aren’t one-size- fi ts-all. Sometimes you’re looking for the cheapest drinks, or the best deals on oys- ters, or a smattering of both boozy bever- ages and sustenance at a discount. If you’re hungry for happy-hour deals, here are our current favorites: BEST BOOZE DEALS Horseshoe Lounge 414 East 20th Avenue It’s no surprise that one of our favorite classic Denver bars knows exactly what its patrons want: a long happy hour (3 to 7 p.m. every day of the week) with drink specials for $5 or less, including $4 wells, ‘Shoe shots and retro cans of beer. As a bonus, from 4 to 7 p.m. daily, the kitchen offers any of its subs for just $8. Sister bar Pairadice at 2209 Welton Street also serves its happy-hour specials ($1 off drafts, $5 wine and $4 wells) from 3 to 7 p.m. daily Hudson Hill 619 East 13th Avenue This bright and welcoming Capitol Hill cafe doubles as a cocktail bar, and its happy hour (4 to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and all day Sunday) is ideal for afternoon meetings — whether they’re personal or business-related. While you can get well drinks for $7, we prefer the $8 classic cocktails, including an Old Fash- ioned, Bee’s Knees or margarita. You can also score discounts on beer and wine, plus all the happy hour pricing is available late night, too, from 10 p.m. to close daily. TrashHawk Tavern 1539 South Broadway The mixed drinks (you won’t fi nd any cocktails here) at this new-ish but well- worn neighborhood bar are affordable any- time but especially during its long happy hour (2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday). Stop by then to get $2 Narragansett cans, $3 Lone Star bottles and buy-one-get-one wells and Trash Drinks like the Trash Mom, a double tall vodka, tea and lemon- ade, all regularly priced at just $7. Semiprecious 2839 West 44th Avenue What happens when a world-class bar team from L.A. decides to open a neigh- borhood bar in Denver? Semiprecious, a new Sunnyside watering hole that has the comfort of a dive but a menu that’s anything but typical. Think a tomato highball with Oaxacan rum that’s pre-made and car- bonated in-house and poured from a can. For a good introduction to this spot that’s defi nitely not too precious, we recommend the new late-night happy hour. Available from 9 p.m. to last call Wednesday, Thurs- day and Sunday, 11 p.m. to last call Friday and Saturday, and all night on Tuesday, it includes a lineup of tempting sippers like a martini and tonic for $9, Campari and soda for $8 and the Precious Little Boilermaker — a well shot and High Life pony for $7. Wyman’s No. 5 2033 East 13th Avenue This Chicago bar near Cheesman Park is a favorite for Bears games and its tavern- style pizza, but it also earns points for its affordable drinks during happy hour, which runs from 4 to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close daily, featuring $4 wells and select craft beer and wine for $5.50. Want more? How about $3 Montucky cans and $3.25 Bud and Bud Light drafts all day, every day. Add in daily food specials – on Tuesdays, you can get a slice of cheese or pepperoni for $2, for example – and you have a spot that’s easy to enjoy on the cheap. Bonus pick: Lincoln’s, the hidden bar located in the Ice House building next to Union Station, where all drinks are $5 (cash-only), always. BEST OYSTER HAPPY HOURS Angelo’s Taverna 620 East Sixth Avenue The original Angelo’s (there’s also a second location in Littleton) has been a staple on Sixth Avenue since 1974. It has daily specials (we love Mollusk Mon- days!), but the real star is the daily happy hour, which runs from 3 to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close, and includes a wide range of food options. But oysters are the star here: Slurp up the raw house oyster of the day for $1.25 each You can fi ll up at Revival Denver Public House’s happy hour. MOLLY MARTIN continued on page 10
